Coats and Capes!

Here is a picture of Indiana in the fall:

Wow, that's bright.

I can't get over how vivid the colors are. Some people think of fall as lots of muted colors or earthy colors. When I think of fall here I think of a bright blue sky, vibrant green, and also lots of red and orange and earthy colors.

Here's a picture taken with my camera lens pushed up against my sunglasses.

Ooooooh....

And a butterfly...

Ahhhhh.....

And some more trees...

There were definitely some bright colors to be seen on our hike today, but we might have been a little early for the leaf change. Now, some sewing stuff. I'm thinking about sewing a cape for this fall... hopefully before this fall is over. Here is a pattern I'm considering:

I think that black and white one is pretty cute. And I just purchased some wool for four bucks a yard (!) that might be perfect.

I like the idea of capes because they seem easier to sew than a coat. And they can be stylish... right? I could be wrong. Capes can also look shapeless and blah. And leave your forearms cold. And allow drafts to sneak in. I'm not decided yet. Here's another option:

I'm looking at versions 1 and 2 in this pattern. Not as complicated as a full-blown coat, pretty cute, but maybe impractical for cold weather. What do you think? Know any particularly cute cape/coat patterns?